Paris Charles de Gaulle loses its Mound

It seems that the most useful spot for photographing and logging aircraft at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is no more.

The famous ‘Mound’, situated in a prime spot between all three terminals had a raised area good enough for photography, and was in a position whereby all four runways, three terminals and link taxiways could be monitored easily. It was always popular with spotters, both visiting and local, and seemed to be the accepted place to the authorities.

But recent logs by spotters this week has revealed the sad news that the lower area has been taken over by a car park extension, and the main mound area is now a building site as some unknown construction work takes place; workers even asked spotters to move on because of safety concerns.

So where to go now? If this is indeed the end, then CDG offers few other options – certainly for photographers. Read on…

Another raised area can be found next to some advertising boards between the roads that run either side of the preserved Air France Concorde. This spot is high enough to overlook Terminal 3, but you may attract unwelcome attention from security personnel.

You can also log aircraft parked at Terminal 1 from the arrivals level roads there, and Terminal 2 from the train station. But these aren’t good for photography, or seeing movements on the opposite side of the airport.

If you’re visiting Charles de Gaulle, why not comment below with an update on the situation?